Passover and the Zodiac

Do you look at your horoscope in the pages of your favorite newspaper or magazine? If you’re dating, do you make a point to ask the person you’re interested in for their astrological sign? Do you identify your personality with the traits commonly attributed to those born under the influence of one of the 12 signs of the zodiac?

Do you think there is truth in the words of Shakespeare that “the stars above govern our conditions”?

About 90% of American newspapers carry horoscopes. According to the latest studies, at least 90% of all Americans under age 30 know their sun-sign and there are more than 10,000 practicing astrologers in the United States and Americans spend more than $200 million annually consulting astrologers.

Historians tell us that astrology is almost certainly the oldest and most widespread of all pseudo-sciences whose origins can be traced back to the first half of the Hammurabi Dynasty in Babylonia about 3500 years ago. Yet paradoxically the heyday of astrology was not during the ancient days of scientific unawareness nor the benighted Middle Ages, when the average person was sunk deep in ignorance and superstition, but rather in the 20th century as well as in our own, when most citizens presumably know the basic facts of astronomy and are aware that the planets are worlds similar to the earth rather than independent forces that consign us to predetermined fates.

Our Hebrew ancestors in Egypt, those whose journey from slavery to freedom we commemorate on the Passover holiday, lived in a culture obsessed with the rule of the stars and the power of the planets to predict the future. The Torah tells us how Pharaoh sought out his astrologers in order to divine the true meaning of events.

It is in this context that biblical commentators understand the seemingly strange ritual demanded by God of his people in order to warrant their deliverance.

God told Moses to command the Jews to take “every one of them a lamb for each parental home, a lamb for a household” (Exodus 12:3). They were required to slaughter the lamb and to smear of its blood on the two door posts as well as on the lintel. Only then would God “pass over” the homes of the Hebrews whose firstborn lives the Almighty would save.

Obviously God didn’t need a painted sign to determine whether a home was occupied by an Israelite. This was meant as a test. The lamb was a major god of Egypt. To be saved one had to demonstrate in a public manner the rejection of the Egyptian idol. Only those who had the courage to do so deserved to be redeemed.

It’s striking that the Egyptians chose a lamb as a major god to be worshiped. What could have prompted a warlike nation known for their military prowess by way of horses and chariots to revere such a seemingly docile and peaceful animal?

The great Jewish scholar Nachmanides provides us with a brilliant answer. The very first sign of the zodiac is Aries – the ram or the lamb. Being first, it is the key to all the signs which follow; it is the source of strength for the other 11 signs of the zodiac.

And that is why the ancient Hebrews had to slaughter the Paschal Lamb. It was the most powerful way to express their rejection of a system of thought that placed human action under the power of celestial planets, a belief that runs counter to the idea of human free will that is so fundamental to the theology of Judaism.

Astrology turns us into puppets, perpetually moved by strings that can’t be influenced by our own personal desires or strengths of will.

On the holiday of Passover, dedicated to celebrating the ideal of human freedom, the Torah included the concept of liberation not only from human taskmasters but also from pre-destined decrees from planetary forces totally beyond our control.

To put it succinctly, to believe in astrology and the zodiac is to remain a slave – a slave to a fate over which we have no say and which we are not free to alter by our good deeds, by prayer, or by repentance.

Astrology turns us into puppets, perpetually moved by strings that can’t be influenced by our own personal desires or strengths of will.

How remarkable in this light are the words of God to Abraham in the famous scene at the “covenant between the pieces:” “And He [the Lord] brought him forth outside and said, ‘look now toward heaven and count the stars’” (Genesis 15:5). The Midrash has Abraham respond, “According to the astrological signs, I have seen that I am not fit to beget a son.” Whereupon God taught Abraham that he was elevated above the stars and said, “Come forth out of the constellations; the Israelites are not subject to the planets. The servant of God is not enslaved to the stars.”

Judaism does not agree with the ignoble Edmund in King Lear who said that, “We were villains of necessity, fools by heavenly compulsion, knaves, thieves and treacherers by spherical predominance, drunkards, liars and adulterers by an enforced obedience of planetary influences and all that we are evil is by a divine thrusting on.” That would make us no more than pawns in a divine chess game with responsibility for our every move transferred solely to the Chess-master from above guiding our play.

And that is the real meaning of the famous Talmudic statement by Rabbi Yochanan that “There is no mazel to Israel” – not that we have no good fortune but that Israel is not subject to mazel, to predetermined forces beyond our control.

It is a powerful proclamation of freedom for us as actors on the stage of history, as movers for the improvement of the world as we make our way through the free willed choices of our lifetimes.

Although the lack of our temple prevents us from physically sacrificing a Paschal Lamb, it is important for us as we approach Passover to metaphorically slay the excuses we give ourselves for our imperfections as being predetermined. We need to remember that we are free – free to be the heroes of our life stories.

Because it is not the stars that write the scripts of our years. It is we who can choose to become the stars of our faith and our people.

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About the Author

Rabbi Benjamin Blech, a frequent contributor to Aish, is a Professor of Talmud at Yeshiva University and an internationally recognized educator, religious leader, and lecturer. Author of 14 highly acclaimed books with combined sales of over a half million copies, his newest, The World From A Spiritual Perspective, is a collection of over 100 of his best Aish articles. See his website at rabbibenjaminblech.com.

The opinions expressed in the comment section are the personal views of the commenters. Comments are moderated, so please keep it civil.

Visitor Comments: 11

(9)
Anonymous,
May 6, 2014 10:19 AM

Can we be certain which is "fact"; that the lamb was an Egyptian God or that it was a Greek God? The answer to this will help clarify issues regarding this article.

(8)
Deborah,
April 19, 2014 3:47 AM

This article really liberated me: The Passover and Astrology

I can not thank you enough for writing this wonderful article. It was filled with insight, scripture, and history. You are an excellent writer. Thank you for making a difference in so many people lives. This story really liberated me so much. Thank you. Shalom

(7)
Darwin's bullwinkle,
April 17, 2014 3:20 AM

He's lost in outer space

This article is beating a dead horse. Intelligent people today don't surrender their free will because they think the stars override any of their own exertions. No. The challenge to the belief in free will today comes from that part of the scientific community who think that our DNA and our neurons and synapses determine what we do. I don't know that this materialist view is correct. But it is vastly more worthy of consideration than Rabbi Blech's suggestion that people today might be in thrall to Pharaoh's astrologers.

Rivka D,
April 27, 2014 7:35 PM

astrology is not a dead horse

Obviously you have been fortunate to never mee someone who truly believes there is nothing they can do to change a negative characteristic, because it is due to their astrological sign. I have met them, and they are true believers. No, they don't admit to believing that their day to day life depends on which "house" their sign is in today. But they definitely believe the general course of their life is pre-ordained & unchangeable. I am sure R. Blech researched b4 stating Americans spend $100 million yearly on astrology. How is that possible, if you are correct that this is a dead horse?

(6)
Anonymous,
April 16, 2014 11:51 PM

When a animal is sacrificed, it's for the eating. It was the Cow that was esteem in Egypt, not the Lamb, as a sacred god, by the Egyptians. Also to note, sacrificing a Lamb, was a Greek tradition. Besides all of that, your point is not to go off of horoscopes, and agree. However, the talk of freewill, we need to separate that God gives us freewill, but people don't always gives us that freedom of choice. Parents don't give a child freewill if they want to clean their room or not, etc. Many countless times, adults don't always have freewill of choice either. Man's ways is not always God's way in the doing. If they really wanted to get under the skin of the Egyptians, they would of slaughtered a cow, an ate it, in Egypt. The first thing they did when reaching the Arabia shore, was to kill a fatted cow and enjoyed a fat juicy steak. That was freedom, and freedom from the religion of Egypt at the time, which wasn't their religion. They were in a foreign land, and the religion of the region was foreign to them also. How does the sign of Aries speaks to us? Replace Aries with Adar, it's the month of laughter. The first month of the Persian calendar is March. To compare what the first horoscope sign is and the lamb doesn't make sense. Moses father was Aram, let's do a play on words, A ram. Does this mean that they were to kill Aram? Was it to kill off one of the tribes, since doesn't the 12 Zodiac signs represent the 12 tribes. Lam, is a Hebrew letter, was it to do away with the Hebrew letter lam. No, lamb is a Greek food, why the lamb? Because that was their type of meat they ate, especially since they couldn't eat beef, in Egypt. Why the blood, because blood represent the life force, it represents Life, to be alive, to be saved to live, to continue to live. There is no life, w/o the blood flow. Maybe to fool the Angel of Death, that death had taken place in the homes, no reason to stop for a visit, just keep passing by.

susan goldenberg,
March 29, 2015 5:24 PM

lamb egyptian/greek

While it is true that Orthodox Greeks happily roast a lamb on the spit for Easter I believe this is an old custom based on the Jewish going out of Egypt, many rituals ie separate seating in the Greek chuch are similar to Jewish rituals, walking around the bible 7 times at a wedding Jewish brides walk around their husbands 7 times in order that their souls be bound up, we need to understand Christianity developed out Judaism we have to look at similarities however in Egypt the idea of using the lamb as rebellion I am just starting to think about it.Does anyone know why Jews do not roast lamb at Pesach now is it permissable.

(5)
sc,
April 15, 2014 5:34 PM

wonderful article

Physical freedom and spiritual freedom must co-exist in order to obtain total freedom, because we all are comprised of both physical and spiritual aspects. Total freedom from the chains which bind us can not occur if only one aspect is set free. We either believe that Hashem provides guidance that is greater than the influence of the stars etc. or we remain in spiritual bondage.

(4)
Anonymous,
April 13, 2014 10:49 PM

I"ve heard this before

Not really sure about the understanding part but astrology was seen as reputable back in Abraham's day; or so we were told. An Gemini friend is amazingly bright. An Aries we know was very passionalte. A LIbra such as myself might see both sides of the story when many people would see one side or the other. I think astrology is fascinating .Rabbis can read you from your face? Can they tell you wish you had more but know better? Can they tell you wish your kids were gifted? Can they tell you always wanted to go away fro Jewish Holdsays? They can read disappointment like anyone else.They probably can't read that you think the membership is too high and that if private school wasn't priced like buying a car maybe you'd love to put your kids in day school. (Scholarship schmolarship)

(3)
Eugene Levichi,
April 13, 2014 9:22 PM

Iour free will is choice between good and evil. Is it not?

This is what I understood from Tanya. The choice between good and evil Hashem cannot interfere

(2)
Maggie,
April 13, 2014 3:38 PM

astrology not a prediction but does provide understanding

We as jews must always remember that we have a choice. I agree with Reuven. I believe that information is provided to us via astrology from hashem, to provide understanding as to what is happening and why.. For example when mars is in retrograde computers get messed up, people misunderstand each other, letters and messages get lost etc. By knowing that mars is in retrograde you understand that confusion can happen and as a result you can take action to be especially careful and understanding. I believe that hashem had a purpose in providing us with this tool. It is up to us to use it wisely and to help us be guided to understand that something in the energy field can happen but we are steered into makingthe right choice for us by deciding in which direction we choose to go.

(1)
Reuven Green,
April 12, 2014 7:20 AM

Determinism: No. Predisposition: Yes.

I agree with what you say about our having to know and feel that we are responsible for our Fate. However, it is a fact that our great Kabbalist Masters were expert astrologers.Astrology well understood, believes the planets are Symbols of a certain pre-disposition for certain things to happen -according to Hashems' Will. Many Rabbis can recognize such pre-dispositions from the details of our face, or from intuitions they receive from Hashem.Yet all these factors: planet position, facial details, intuitions given by Hashem -all of these are signs Hashem sends us to know what MAY happen -not what necessarily what NEEDS to happen.Because, it is also a known fact, that Prayer, Tzdaka and Good Actions, can reverse and erase those pre-dispositions -making it possible for US to determine our Fate -as we Pray and Ask G-d to Guide us in our doing that.Jag Sameach.-